Atop a 15-foot tripod surrounded by standards for flashlight powder, one rigged
with a canvas smoke trap. CHS

Original Lawrence panoramic camera in Thomas Yanul's collection

George Lawrence was one of the foremost panoramic photographers of the 20th
century, as well as being the greatest KAP'er (Kite Aerial
Photographer) of all time! You see Mr. Lawrence wasn't content with
taking pictures on the ground, he wanted those panoramic views you can see
only from the air. Whether it was via ladder, balloon, or kite, he experimented
with it. Dr. Simon Baker, Professor
Emeritus at East Carolina University, has very kindly provided his research
published over the years in various magazines for this website. Peter Nurkse
has contributed notes from an interview with Dr. Baker.

From the beginning, Lawrence seemed destined for greatness... or disaster. In
his early experiments with improved flash powders he blew his young son out the window!
In later adventures with photography from balloons he crashed...TWICE. Other early
projects included the world's largest camera (1400 lbs.) and photographs from
ladders and giant tripods.

But Lawrence's most enduring claim to fame came when he paired up his cameras with
the kites of fellow Chicagoan Silas J. Conyne. It is with cameras suspended from
trains of multiple Conyne kites that Lawrence took some of the most spectacular
aerial photos ever taken.

All this and more is explored in this collection of articles written by Dr.
Baker between 1988 and 1997:

There's a bit of overlap in subject matter; remember the articles were not intended
to be presented together. In addition, here are the original U.S. Navy reports
from which we know the details of kite and camera operation: